The Shanghai Jiao Tong University Scholarship (SJTUS) is the university's own money. SJTU funds it internally and uses it to attract strong international Master's and PhD applicants, especially in engineering, medicine and business, the areas where SJTU is among mainland China's strongest institutions. It sits alongside two government-run awards that SJTU applicants can also be considered for: the Chinese Government Scholarship (CGS) and the Shanghai Government Scholarship (SGS).
For a Pakistani student with a good academic record and a clear research or study direction, SJTUS is one of the simpler Chinese scholarships to apply for, because there is no separate scholarship form. You tick a box inside the normal admission application. That simplicity is also where people slip up, which we will come to. You can see the full scholarship details on our scholarship page.
SJTUS in one table
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Funding | Fully funded: monthly stipend, tuition waiver, medical insurance, partial accommodation subsidy |
| Levels | Master's and PhD |
| Fields | All fields, with SJTU's strengths in engineering, medicine, business and sciences |
| Deadline | SJTUS and SGS: 31 March. CGS: December-February |
| Country | China (Shanghai) |
| Provider | Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Office of Global Education |
| Official site | SJTU Office of Global Education |
What the stipend, waiver and housing subsidy add up to
The package has four parts:
- A monthly living stipend. PhD students get a higher rate than Master's students, which reflects the longer and more demanding degree.
- A tuition fee waiver for the duration of the program.
- Group comprehensive medical insurance, valid in China.
- An accommodation subsidy that covers part of your housing cost, whether you live on or off campus.
Notice the word "part" in that last item. The housing subsidy is not described as full accommodation, so plan for some rent to come out of your stipend. Shanghai is China's largest and most internationally connected city, and that usually means it is not a cheap place to live.
The source information does not publish exact stipend or subsidy figures, and SJTU adjusts them periodically. If you need numbers to plan a budget, email study@sjtu.edu.cn and ask for the current year's stipend and subsidy rates for your level. Do not rely on figures you see quoted in forums or older blog posts.
Some schools and colleges inside SJTU run their own supplementary scholarships on top of SJTUS. These are set by each school, so read your target school's prospectus as well as the main scholarships information.
Age limits and language scores that decide eligibility
SJTUS is open to international students (non-Chinese citizens) from any country, so Pakistani applicants can apply. The rules after that depend on your level.
| Master's | PhD | |
|---|---|---|
| Prior degree | Relevant Bachelor's degree | Relevant Master's degree |
| Age | Under 35 | Under 40 |
The word "relevant" matters. If your undergraduate degree is in one field and you are applying for a Master's in a very different one, expect the department to question the fit. Your study plan has to explain the link.
Language requirements follow the language of instruction:
- Chinese-taught programs need HSK Level 4 or above.
- English-taught programs need IELTS, TOEFL or an equivalent recognized test score.
Most Pakistani applicants will be looking at English-taught programs. No fixed minimum IELTS or TOEFL band is published for SJTUS itself, but some competitive schools at SJTU set informal thresholds. A borderline score will hurt you more in a crowded department than in a quieter one, so if your score is weak, retake the test before applying rather than hoping it passes.
You also need to be in good physical and mental health, have no criminal record, and be willing to follow Chinese law and SJTU regulations.
The paperwork SJTU expects
The document list is short compared with many government scholarships:
- SJTU online graduate application form, with "Apply for scholarship" selected
- Academic transcripts and degree certificates
- Passport copy
- Two academic recommendation letters
- Study plan or research proposal
- Language proficiency certificate (HSK, or IELTS/TOEFL)
- Physical examination form, which is used for visa purposes after admission
Two of these deserve real effort. The recommendation letters should come from teachers or supervisors who know your academic work, and they should be academic letters, not character certificates. The study or research plan is where the department judges whether you belong in its program, so make it specific to SJTU and to the school you are applying to. For PhD applicants, a vague proposal is one of the fastest ways to lose a scholarship you were otherwise qualified for.
If you are still gathering papers, our documents checklist for international scholarships covers how Pakistani students usually prepare transcripts and degrees. Check the official portal for whether SJTU wants certified or attested copies for your program.
Why the "Apply for scholarship" box is the whole application
There is no separate SJTUS portal and no paper form. The process runs like this:
- Choose a Master's or PhD program at SJTU and confirm its language of instruction and whether it is eligible for the scholarship.
- Complete the online graduate application through SJTU's admissions portal and select the scholarship option.
- Upload your transcripts, recommendation letters, language proof and other documents.
- Your school or department and the Office of Global Education review you for admission and scholarship eligibility together.
- If you succeed, your admission letter states the scholarship award along with your program placement.
The catch is timing within the form itself. Select "Apply for scholarship" at the very start of your application, not after you submit. It cannot always be added afterwards, and if you miss it you may end up being considered for admission only.
Because admission and the scholarship are judged together, your whole file is your scholarship application. A strong admission case is a strong scholarship case.
How the CGS, SGS and SJTUS deadlines fit together
The yearly cycle generally looks like this:
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| November | Application portal opens |
| December-February | CGS deadline (for applicants also seeking the Chinese Government Scholarship) |
| 31 March | SJTUS and SGS deadline |
| May-June | Admission and scholarship results |
| September | Academic year begins |
The CGS window is a range rather than a single date, so confirm the exact deadline on the official portal for the year you apply. If you want to be considered for CGS as well as SJTUS, the earlier CGS deadline is the one that controls your planning. Even if you only want SJTUS, do not treat 31 March as your target date. SJTU's own review takes time, and applying in the last week gives you no room to fix a missing document.
A realistic plan for a Pakistani student: sort out your test scores and recommendation letters by October, write the study plan in November when the portal opens, and submit well before the deadlines.
Who should apply, and who should look elsewhere
SJTUS suits you if you have a strong academic record in a relevant field, can write a focused study or research plan, and want to study in a city with multinational company headquarters, financial institutions and a large international community. Engineering and medical sciences students in particular are applying to the areas where SJTU is best known.
It is a weaker fit if you are close to the age limit and still need a year to get test scores, if your previous degree does not connect to the program you want, or if you need exact funding figures before committing (you will have to ask SJTU for those). It is also a competitive award at a top university, so it should be one application among several, not your only plan. Our guide to all China scholarships lists other routes worth applying to in the same season.
Common mistakes we see:
- Forgetting to select the scholarship option at the start of the online form.
- Sending generic recommendation letters that say nothing about academic ability.
- Submitting a study plan that could be sent to any university.
- Waiting for the 31 March date when the CGS route closed months earlier.
- Ignoring school-level supplementary scholarships that could add to the base award.
Frequently asked questions
Is SJTUS fully funded?
Yes. It includes a monthly stipend, a tuition waiver, medical insurance in China and an accommodation subsidy. The housing subsidy covers part of your accommodation cost, not all of it.
Do I need a separate application for SJTUS?
No. You select the scholarship option inside SJTU's standard online graduate application. Do it at the start of the form, because it cannot always be added after submission.
What is the age limit?
Master's applicants must be under 35 and PhD applicants under 40, at the time of application.
Can I apply for both CGS and SJTUS?
You can show interest in both, but you can only hold one award. SJTU will consider you for whichever scholarships you qualify for. Remember that the CGS deadline falls earlier, between December and February.
Can Pakistani students apply?
Yes. SJTUS is open to international students who are not Chinese citizens, from any country.
How much is the monthly stipend?
Exact amounts are not published in the information we have, and SJTU adjusts them periodically. PhD students receive a higher rate than Master's students. Email study@sjtu.edu.cn for the current figures.
Before you apply, check the current rules on the SJTU scholarships page and the Office of Global Education website, and keep our SJTUS scholarship page handy for the key dates.